Spring Bulbs On Sale Now

Tulip bulbs potted in late December bloom in April.

Mail order and many big box hardware stores have spring flowering bulbs on sale now.

I always plant my spring bulbs in late December or the first week in January. So the fact that many stores and my favorite mail order source, Brent and Becky’s bulbs, have their remaining supply of bulbs on sales now is perfect. This weekend I bought 50 large size daffodils for $5.00. Also, all of the remaining bulbs ordered from Brent and Becky’s before December 12, are discounted at 50%.
Why? Well most of the country plants their spring flowering bulbs before Thanksgiving, but that is a mistake for us. In general the ground temperature has not cooled enough to ensure your bulbs will not come up too early and get killed by our early spring freezes. By planting the bulbs late, we get plenty of the needed chilling hours to get good bloom quality and do not have to refrigerate them until planting time. Granted, if you are after a specific type tulip or daffodil, they may be hard to find, but in most cases I can find a similar one on sale. I also plant my pots this time of the year as well as the ones I put into the ground. I generally put my potted ones in small containers (like ones shown in image above) in a well drained pot and cover with at least 3 inches of soil and place them in a protected place, or mulch them well until the temperature encourages them to start forming flower buds. Then I put them in full sun where they will not get leggy. This is especially true of tulips. If they are planted in a large permanent pot, I place a layer of mulch over the top for a bit of cold temperature protection. I promise this has been my bulb program especially for tulips, hyacinths and daffodils for 20 years, and it works.

John Floyd has been gardening--and learning about Birmingham area gardening--for more than 30 years. In addition to his day-to-day experience, John has degrees in horticulture from Auburn and Clemson Universities and was Editor-in-Chief of Southern Living.

2 thoughts on “Spring Bulbs On Sale Now”

For bulbs planted in the ground, do you generally follow the suggested depth on the package planting guide? I’ve read that in the south, bulbs can be planted more shallow than what is usually suggested.